Integrated water, sanitation and heath education in Tabora

It is estimated that 70 percent of the rural population in Tanzania do not have access to clean, safe water. There is little sanitation in rural areas.

Women and children are usually responsible for collecting water for their families. They spend many hours every day carrying heavy loads of water. Often the water is contaminated, but there is no alternative.

• Photo: Building a latrine  lsa Ali builds a latrine at his home. He watched a recent demonstration latrine being built in the village and has moved swiftly to build his own. He began improving his old latrine by surrounding it with a structure. His family could only use the old latrine at night when they could not be seen. Everything is made from local trees - the ropes, walls and supporting posts. He is going to use a hollowed out tree trunk for the ventilation pipe. Credit: Jim Holmes/WaterAid

Carrying heavy water containers is an exhausting task that takes valuable time and energy, keeps women from income-generation and child care, and keeps children away from school.

Tabora is the second-worst served of 20 regions in Tanzania in terms of water supply and sanitation. Just 13.2 percent of rural households in Tabora use an improved water source, compared with the national rural average of 46 percent.

The Oxfam Water for Survival Programme is working with WaterAid Tanzania to provide water and sanitation for 6,000 people living in poverty in Tabora.

Benefits will include:

• water points with hand-pumps
• improved sanitation
• health education for all villagers

The programme will also provide:

• training for health educators so that health education work can continue and grow
• training of local masons and pump caretakers so that the facilities can be properly maintained
• supporting and working with the district administration so that the work is sustainable in the long-term

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